Orders, Decorations and Medals

Four: Captain G. M. Marston, Royal Navy

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 3 clasps, Gambia 1894, Benin River 1894, Brass River 1895 (Lieut., R.N. H.M.S. Widgeon); British War and Victory Medals (Capt., R.N.); Coronation 1911, nearly extremely fine, the first rare (4) £600-700

Only 22 East & West Africa medals issued with these three clasps to the Royal Navy.

Guy Montagu Marston was born on 17 December 1871, and entered the Royal Navy in August 1887. As Navigating Lieutenant of Widgeon he served in the Naval Brigade landed by Rear-Admiral Bedford, C.B., from the Raleigh, Alecto, Magpie, Satellite and Widgeon, at Bathurst on the river Gambia in February 1894, in co-operation with two companies of the 1st West India Regiment, for the punishment of Fodi Silah, a rebellious slave-raiding chief (General Africa Medal, Gambia 1894 Clasp). He served in the Naval Brigade landed under the command of Rear-Admiral Bedford, C.B., Commander-in-Chief, for the punitive expedition against Chief Nanna of Brohemie, in the Benin River, resulting in the capture of his stronghold at Brohemie, 25th September 1894 (Benin River 1894 Clasp). He again served in the Naval Brigade landed under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir F. Bedford, K.C.B., for the punitive expedition against King Koko, of Nimby, the chief town of Brass, on the River Niger, in February 1895 (Brass River 1895 Clasp). From the 5th to the 25th February, 1896, he was landed at Vanga in charge of a rocket tube party in the punitive expedition against Mburuk, a rebellious Arab chief. He was appointed to the command of the newly commissioned cruiser H.M.S. Blanche in 1911. During the Great War he served with the Director of Navigation and retired with the rank of Captain in August 1921.